Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 9 November (BelTA) - Belarus is in favor of constructive cooperation with the IMF, Chairman of the Council of the Republic Mikhail Myasnikovich said as he met with Michaela Erbenova, the IMFʼs executive director for the Central and Eastern European region, BelTA has learned.

“Active membership in the IMF is something we need to cherish, and we need to improve our relationship. Belarus is in favor of constructive cooperation with the IMF. We have no fundamental contradictions. Out fundamental approaches coincide,” Mikhail Myasnikovich said.

He congratulated Michaela Erbenova on the appointment to the high post and recalled that the Republic of Belarus has been an IMF member since 1992. He said that the advisory and expert assistance of the fund is important for Belarus and urged to coordinate the steps to accommodate each other.

Michaela Erbenova thanked for the meeting and noted that she is always happy to visit Belarus. “I am glad that I have been promoted and now in the new capacity will continue working with Belarus and try my best to present the specificity of the Belarusian economy. The measures undertaken by the government and the National Bank over the past two years and a half to stabilize the economy have been positively assessed by the IMF,” she said.

The IMF mission is in Belarus from 26 October to 10 November to discuss the country’s economic situation and the preparations for the annual consultations under Article IV.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a UN organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. The organization allocates loans to secure financial stability, which is directed tallied with a set of economic recovery measures recommended by the IMF. The organization also provides Belarus with technical assistance in a number of areas, including state expenditure, taxation and customs services, bank supervision, monetary policy, the activities of the central bank and statistics. In 1992 the IMF opened its office in Minsk.